I loved it. The characters were well developed, the story was engaging, and the twists were a surprise. There are triggers that deal with child abuse and it bothered me, but I expected it picking up this book and was able to detach from the emotional unease.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an advanced copy for me to read.
Jessica, Norah and Alicia all came from broken homes. Separately, they were brought together one by one to Wild Meadows where their unbreakable bond began.
Forced to live with their narcissistic foster mother, Miss Fairchild, they endured physical and mental abuse. The gaslighting foster mother even had them questioning their own sanity at times.
This book is written in dual timelines bouncing between the time the girls were living at Wild Meadows and current time after bones had been discovered buried under the home where they were raised. Who was responsible for burying a body there? Only time will tell.

I loved this book! The characters were so easy to connect with. The drama that went along with it was delicious and the book kept me in my feelings the whole time.
I loved the wrap up at the end. It wasn’t predictable, but also made perfect sense. It was a crazy wild ride all the way to the end.

Halfway through this novel I would have given it 3 stars, but the last quarter of the book really ramped it up for me. Three young foster children, fostered by an obviously deranged young woman, become their own family, sisters in spirit if not biological. Twenty five years later, bones are discovered beneath the house they were fostered in. Their experience in the foster care system unquestionably impacts their adult lives. The story goes back and forth between "before" and "after". Loved the twists!

Darling Girls | Sally Hepworth
This was a solid 4⭐️ read for me!
SISTERS, SECRETS, LOVE, AND MURDER?! Sign 👏🏼 me 👏🏼 up
I’ll admit, at first, I had a hard time keeping everyone’s stories/backgrounds straight since there’s three female MCs and it alternates between past and present and then thrown in an unknown POV told through therapy sessions. Once I got those down, I was hooked!

Brief synopsis: 

Following various childhood tragedies, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia find themselves in the foster care system & now being raised under the same roof on a picturesque estate by Miss Fairchild. They are seemingly given a second chance at a “happy family”, but is it really all that it seems? Miss Fairchild is cruel, controlling, & unpredictable. The three girls finally break away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Then 20+ years later, a body is found under the Wild Meadows estate they grew up in. The trio finds themselves thrown into the middle of the murder investigation as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?

It was interesting to see how the trauma from their childhoods affected each character differently as adults. The women are flawed, yet relatable. I found it a little predictable and repetitive at times, but the last few chapters had my head spinning 🤯 especially the last chapter!!! It threw me for such a loop!

I really enjoy Hepworth’s writing style. This is my third book by her and I’ve enjoyed them all! She does a great job weaving multiple timelines and character storylines together seamlessly. If you’re looking for a page-turning domestic suspense/thriller - I highly recommend picking this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sally Hepworth for providing me with a gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

▪️Short chapters
▪️Alternating POVs and timelines
▪️Strong sister bonds / found family

This was a good mystery. Parts were a little predictable but it had a good end twist I didn’t see coming. There were some parts that were a little cheesy (like how many times Norah talked about how good her boobs were) but I really enjoyed it overall. I enjoyed the multiple POV from each sister and the flash backs to tell the backstory.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia meet in foster care while living with Miss Fairchild who is not the care giver she pretends to be. 25 years later a child’s bones are found under the house the girls lived in and their nightmare is brought back to the surface. Twisty psychological story.

I was invited by St. Martin's to read and review this book on Netgalley. This might be the best book I've read from this author. The different timelines were woven together perfectly and were easy to follow. I absolutely did not see the final twist coming. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good twist.

Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors. She does a great job delving into complex emotions and relationships. This book does not disappoint.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are not typical sisters and they did not come from a typical family circumstance. They do care for each other and are trying to stay connected but it isn’t easy. Their lives are very different and they want very different things from their relationships with each other. But the estate where they grew up has revealed some of the secrets that once imprisoned them with their abusive foster mother and in an attempt to gain some closure and clarity for themselves, they go back to the estate. As they attempt to understand what happened when they were children, they reveal to each other the people they are now and find answers to who they are individually and as a family.

Their story is revealed to the reader through flashes of their current life events and their past life horrors. The story is told from each of their perspectives and as a dialog by an unidentified patient of Dr. Warren. The sisters are determined to work together to decipher their events of their horrible past in light of the current estate discoveries.

Sally Hepworth has done it again…

Jessica, Alicia and Norah all spent a few years living in foster care under Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows. Through circumstance and choice they became forever sisters.

With the recent demolition of Wild Meadows, bones were found under the house. The police were asking the three sisters to come back to Port Agatha to answer some questions about their time in foster care and to hopefully help determine whom the bones belong to.

Through flashbacks from when the sisters were in foster care, they each told the story of the abuse they went through in Miss Fairchilds care.

In the present, while in Port Agatha, the three sisters are forced to confront how the time spent living with Miss Fairchild affected each of them later throughout their lives.

I thought this book was very well done. The gaslighting and abuse were horrible to read about, but made the sisters sympathetic and you couldn’t help but cheer them on. There was one twist to the story that only became obvious 3/4 the way through the book and the twist at the end, although should have seemed predictable, was not obvious.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author Sally Hepworth for the advanced ebook for my honest review

I am a big Sally Hepworth fan, and somehow she just keeps pumping out the hits. I thought this storyline was extremely unique, exciting, and addictive. I was fully invested in the three main characters. I absolutely loved their relationship and learning about the evolution of it throughout the story. I did not see the twists coming, and I also loved how each sister had an interesting current life situation that was very easy to follow. Another five star from me for Darling Girls!

I received an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Growing up under the care of Miss Fairchild, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were constantly reminded of their supposed fortune. Rescued from personal tragedies, they were raised on an idyllic farm by their foster mother, where they believed they had been given a second chance at familial bliss. However, behind the facade of happiness, there lurked a darker reality. Miss Fairchild ruled their lives with strict regulations and an unpredictable demeanor, instilling fear and apprehension in the hearts of the three girls.

In a daring bid for freedom, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia dared to break away from Miss Fairchild's grasp, believing they had escaped her influence for good. Yet, the specter of their foster mother continued to haunt them, lingering in the recesses of their memories. Their perceived liberation is shattered when a body is unearthed beneath the very home where they spent their formative years, thrusting the foster sisters into the harsh glare of suspicion. Are they mere witnesses to the crime, or could they be the prime suspects in this chilling mystery? As secrets unravel and the past resurfaces, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia find themselves navigating treacherous waters where trust is scarce and danger looms at every turn.

As someone who grew up in a secure and nurturing environment, reading about the challenges faced by the girls in this book was eye-opening. The stark contrast between my own upbringing and the struggles depicted in the story highlighted the harsh reality that many children endure. While I never had to worry about safety or access to basic necessities, it's heartbreaking to acknowledge that these hardships are far too common for some.

The powerlessness experienced by the girls resonated deeply with me, serving as a poignant reminder of the injustices that exist in the world. Their journey of facing adversity and overcoming obstacles shed light on the resilience of the human spirit, despite the daunting odds stacked against them.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC. First, I LOVED Darling Girls. I think this is my favorite Sally Hepworth novel yet. Darling Girls follows 3 sisters, Jessica, Norah with a H, and Alicia. All 3 girls were assigned to their foster home named Wild Meadows. 25 years later, bones are discovered under the home. Miss Fairchild was their foster mother when they were children. She is manipulative, abusive, however, she just craves attention/love. Once the bones are discovered, all 3 sisters receive a phone call from Det Patel to get to the bottom of whose bones were under Wild Meadows. Through many twists, your jaw is for sure to drop while reading Darling Girls. Everyone including the neighbor Dirk has secrets, but the biggest secret of them all is whose bones are under the house and what happened to them?

Another great, original story by Sally Hepworth.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia grew up in foster care with Ms. Fairchild where they suffered tremendously. Now as adults, remains have been discovered under the house which brings them back to the town where the endured so much pain. Who's body is it? Who killed them? What secrets is everyone hiding? Read it, and you won't be disappointed!

Thank You to #Netgalley for allowing me to read this. This book was Fantastic!!! I cannot wait until this comes out. Really had me on the last chapter. Thanks again 😊

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia face their nightmarish pasts when the childhood home they grew up in as foster children is found to have a body buried on the grounds.

This book was a slow burn but I loved it. The character development was fantastic, and I appreciated that all three sisters had backstories of their own woven in. I love the alternating timelines between the past and present and everything it led up to. While I *thought* I had figured out what was going on about halfway through, it did not make me enjoy reading it any less. It was so satisfying seeing it all play out. Then that last chapter hit and I was mind-blown, and I loved it even more. The plot was unique and entertaining. I have read all of this author's books this is definitely my favorite!

What makes a sibling, is it blood or ties that bind? Jessica, Alicia, and Norah have been told how lucky they are for most of their lives. Growing up in the foster system isn't easy, but they all came together at Wild Meadows. Cared for by Miss Fairchild, in the eyes of the system they are doing very well. What happens behind closed doors, is more than meets the eye. Miss Fairchild flies into fits of rage, insanity, and bordering on truly demented. So when remains are found at Wild Meadows, the girls return in the hopes of finally laying some of their past trauma to rest.

Sally Hepworth can write a thriller. She employs a character driven plot that makes you root for these characters to get answers. The story is told through several perspectives and dual timeline. This may be my favorite work of hers yet. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Intensely readable. I love all of Sally Hepworth's work and this was no exception. The story was heartwarming, intriguing, and clever. My one critique of the book is the sheer number of awful stories of foster carers - it felt stigmatized and very generalized. Hepworth writes a sweet acknowledgement to carers in the back but I wish it was front and center. The ending was also kind of weird and like Hepworth's editor asked her to add an unnecessary twist element. I will still wait for the authors next book with bated breath.

Darling Girls is a story about foster care gone very wrong. The relationships between the sisters help readers to connect to what each must feel as a sister is mistreated by their “mom”. Readers will understand their feelings and how valuable the bond they share is the the survival of each one. The ending leaves you in wonder in the best of ways

OMG.....This book held my attention from beginning to end. I highly recommend this page turner.......

Jessica, Norah and Alicia consider themselves sisters, not by birth, but by choice. Growing up in foster care, in the home of Ms. Fairchild, others consider them lucky. The girls have a different story to tell.

Still haunted by the past and struggling to forget their childhood at Wild Meadows, one phone call changes everything. The girls are forced to revisit the past and their traumatic lives under the care of Ms. Fairchild. With the discovery of skeletal remains where the home once stood, what really happened in their childhood home, and who is really knows the truth? How do the traumatic events of ones past, pave the path of the future? How important is it for a child to feel loved and wanted?

From past to present, being told from Jessica, Norah and Alicia's point of view, this book takes you on a roller coaster of a read. Just when I thought I had things figured out, there came another plot twist.

Testing the bonds of sisterhood, the desire to know the truth, and the will to overcome the past, this book will keep you up all night, racing to discover what happens next. It has been my favorite read of the year so far.

A BIG thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sally Hepworth for one amazing read.

This story is of 3 foster children, Jessica, Alicia, and Norah. It is about their sisterhood and how they stick together during tough times of their life as foster children of Ms. Fairchild. It goes back in the timeline and talks about what they went through then and now when they are pulled back to their childhood home where there were bones found of a child. They are some twists along the way. All in all not bad read.